


alchemical fun

by nonbinarywithaknife (littleboxes)



Series: me sobbing about critical role [51]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friendly banter, Happy, Humor, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Memory Loss, Mollymauk Tealeaf Lives, Other, Recreational Drug Use, molly buys drugs, yeza knows more about drugs than molly does
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-12-06 21:26:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18225632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleboxes/pseuds/nonbinarywithaknife
Summary: molly buys drugs from a halfling who is more than he seems





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by an ask from @saltwaterwarlock on tumblr: i can't stop thinking about the fact that yeza, glasses wearing, curly haired, small for a halfling yeza, has experimented with all kinds of chemicals. so. imagine the scene early on when molly tries to buy drugs, only that yeza is the apothecary in this scenario and he's internally laughing his ass off about how obviously bad this guy is at this

Molly looks over at the alchemist at the counter, and smirks. A halfling, although even considering that he’s small, with curled hair and sideburns, round glasses that take up half his face, and ruddy cheeks. Molly turns to Yasha. “I’m going to go ask about his _special stock_ ,” he says, smirk still firmly in place, tail swishing with suppressed amusement. Yasha looks up at the counter, and then back at him. “Don’t scar him,” is all she says, before turning back to the healing potions.

Molly puts a clawed hand over his heart, and says, “Darling, I would _never_!” before heading up to the counter.

The halfling sees him coming, and pulls over a stool. Molly speaks first. “A _lovely_ establishment you have here, the sign is very well done,” always good to flatter them first, less likely to turn you in if they’re the law abiding type. 

The halfling flushes, and then smiles. “Well thank you, me and my wife did it together. Do you need help finding anything else?”

Molly leans forward over the counter. “ _Well_ , I’m with the carnival that’s recently come into town- Fletching and Moondrop’s Traveling Carnival of Curiosities? And you know, hanging around can be a bit boring, and I’m always looking for things to spice up my afternoons, if you get me.”

The halfling- Molly really should’ve asked his name, Brenatto is what he thinks the sign said, but his reading skills aren’t exactly up to par, but anyway, the smile doesn’t fall from his face as he responds, “Hmmm, well if you’re looking for activities, I’m afraid Felderwin isn’t the most exciting- frankly your Carnival is the most upset to come around here in a while, but I suppose you could always check out the Square, that where the traveling merchants usually stock up, or-,”

Molly cuts him off with a flick out his hand. “I’m sorry, I think I wasn’t clear enough, my friend. I’m looking for a bit of, hmm, _alchemical fun_.”

 _Still_ , the smile doesn’t budge from the alchemists’ face, and for a second, Molly thinks he actually gets even more amused. Instead, his reply takes  the tiefling by surprise. 

“Well, I wouldn’t know anything about any illegal drugs, but if a humanoid were to consume a slightly refined version of a mixture of plants commonly used to treat cowpox, it would certainly create some effects, and wouldn’t you know it, but I’ve got a batch just recently made! Not even on the shelves yet, but you know, it’s quite expensive and time consuming to make, rather expensive, yes.”

The alchemist is staring at Molly with bright blue eyes full of naivety, and Molly wants to commend him, because that’s one of the most impressive poker faces he’s seen yet. He reaches under the counter and pulls out an opaque vial. 

“It would cost you thirty silver,” he says, still smiling.

Molly pulls out the coin from his pouch, and slaps it onto the counter. “You’ve got a deal, my friend,” he says, flashing his fangs. He turns, ready to call over Yasha and head back, when the alchemist calls to him. “It goes down easiest on an empty stomach,” although when Molly turns, eyebrows raised, he’s calmly stacking the coins.

* * *

 

Yeza waits until the odd pair leave the Apothecary to let the laughter he’d been holding in loose. That was certainly his most interesting sale yet- normally everyone in Felderwin knows to ask for the allergy medicine if they want some of his and Veth’s experiments. Speaking of, Veth peaks from the back room, hair tied up and hands still gloved from the dyes she’s been working on. “What is it? Did Edith come and tell you about her dogs again?”

Yeza tells Veth about the tiefling, and they laugh about it together. She pecks him on the nose before she turns back to the workshop, “Oh, I’m sorry to have missed that, _alchemical fun_ indeed,” she chuckles to herself.


	2. stoppered sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> nott sees molly try to buy drugs and remembers a certain interaction...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspired by these comments:  
> CheseraFifthe- Now I almost wish that Nott tells molly (and beau probably) that he's asking for drugs wrong.  
> &  
> warsawmouse- and now i'm imagining a 'verse where nott sees molly trying to buy ''something fun'' from yet another longsuffering shopkeep and has a realization. 😭😭😭

Somehow, Molly managed to find the only herbalist in Shady Creek Run, and was now prowling his way up to the counter, tail swishing and fangs bared. As Nott watched, something tickled in the back of her brain- something familiar…

She crept up behind him, staying out of sight, and watched their interaction. 

“I must say, you have a lovely establishment, hardly any blood on the doorways at all,” Molly purrs, and the grunt he gets in return doesn’t seem to deter him in the slightest. 

“I’m afraid I’m only in town for a little while, and I was wondering if you had any stoppered sunshine?”

The dwarf behind the counter doesn’t even look up from where they’re organizing behind the counter. Nott sees frustration flicker across Molly’s face, but it doesn’t stay there long. He rests a clawed hand on the counter with a loud,  _ click _ . 

“Ah, I apologize, I don’t think you heard me. I’m looking for a little- oh,  _ alchemical fun _ , shall we say, and I’m willing to pay well.”

It’s then that the memory hits her, like lightning down a metal rod. 

* * *

_ “What is it? Did Edith come and tell you about her dogs again?” she asks, using her arm to brush the sweat from her brow, the damn fumes. Yeza is leaning against the counter, holding his belly and laughing. He takes a breath and smiles at her.  _

_ “No, no, not Edith- you won’t believe who just came in! One of those carnival folk, the tiefling, they came in and started acting all shifty, baring their fangs and talking in euphemisms, you’d think they’d never asked for drugs before! Askin’ all after ‘alchemical fun’...” _

_ Veth leans against the doorway, giggles still escaping at the thought. She leans forward and gives Yeza a kiss on the nose before heading back down to the workshop, mumbling to herself as she goes, “Oh, I’m sorry to have missed that, ‘alchemical fun’ indeed…” _

* * *

 

She stifles her surprise and scurries out of the store. Of course, she should’ve known- a tiefling carnivalier with mediocre charisma looking for drugs? Who else would it’ve been? She chuckles to herself, and ignores Caleb’s odd look. Perhaps- hmm.

* * *

They’re in the tunnels, on the way to Xhorhas to rescue her husband, when she looks over at Molly and realizes-  _ I can tease him about it now _ . “You know, you’re the absolute  _ worst _ at begging for drugs,” she says, smugness in her voice. He turns to her, eyebrow already raised. “Oh? And how would you know, hmm?”

She puts a hand over her heart, enjoying the chance to be dramatic, and says, “Why, Mr Tealeaf, how could you not recognize me, after visiting my very own apothecary for, oh how did you put it then, some  _ alchemical fun _ ?”

She watches the realization dawn, and then he blushes, if the darkening purple on his cheeks is any indication. 

“Granted,” she adds, “Yeza was the one you met, but  _ really _ . Everyone in Felderwin knows to ask for the allergy medicine, did you not even ask around?”

They have the attention of the group now, and Fjord speaks, “Wait, you sold  _ drugs? _ ”

She turns to look at him, completely serious, “Well, not before testing them ourselves, of course. What kind of alchemists would we  _ be _ , _ s _ elling untested consumables. Honestly, it’s like you’ve never been to an apothecary before!”

He sputters, but she interrupts him before he can get out anything coherent. “Besides, living in such a small town as Felderwin can get dreadfully boring sometimes, and we hadn’t had Luke yet.”

Beau leans over. “How willing would you be to make a little of that allergy medicine on the road?”

Nott laughs, “Well, how willing are you to buy me supplies?”

 

**Author's Note:**

> don't do drugs kids


End file.
